In October, for the second month in a row, the number of business aircraft flights in the U.S. fell from the same period in 2010. The year-over-year change was minus 1.5 percent in October and minus 1.3 percent in September, according to aviation services company Argus.

A fractional share can take care of your air travel needs, but how will you get to the airport? Avantair, which features Piaggio Avanti twin-engine turboprop aircraft, is offering what could be a fun solution: For a limited time, purchase a new 50-hour fractional share or Axis Lease Program from the Clearwater, Fla.-based company and it will give you a Vespa Scooter at no additional charge.

The U. S. Block Aircraft Registration Request (Barr) program has been reinstated, at least through Sept. 30, 2012. On November 18, President Obama signed an appropriations bill containing language that reverses Barr’s August dismantling. Now, National Business Aviation Association officials are in discussions with the FAA regarding the logistics involved in resurrecting the program. The NBAA said it expects to receive more guidance from the FAA shortly “but at this point it is clear that anyone currently blocking their movements as part of the FAA’s Certified Security Program will not have a gap in their ‘blocked’ status.”

Let's face it: Some business jet interiors are about as exciting as a bowl of cold oatmeal. But in recent years, the situation has been changing, thanks partly to entre into the field of independent cabin designers who had previously occupied themselves with homes and yachts.

The idea for the Cessna Citation Excel was not new: Combine light jet economics and runway performance with a comfortable, stand-up cabin. For the Excel, Cessna stuck to its time-tested potion of evolutionary development based on simple and robust systems.
In other words, it went to the parts bin.

HyperMach Aerospace has announced that its 20-seat supersonic business jet, SonicStar, will be able to fly at Mach 4.0. This is faster than the originally announced top speed of Mach 3.6. At Mach 4, the SonicStar would be able to travel from New York to Dubai in just 2 hours 20 minutes.

Quote/Unquote

“Time is our most precious commodity, and there are conveniences that wealth brings to essentially get you more time.
—retired Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, explaining why he commutes via private jet from his Seattle home to watch games of the Los Angeles Clippers, the basketball team he bought last year for $2 billion.
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